>Here the fabulous Guajira from Oro viejo

Thanks for sharing Kim He.

A couple of years ago, under the guidance of Mikelg, I made a similar trip with no car.

Flew into Bilbao and did two nights there. I was impressed. I had read comments over the yerts that Bilbao was industrial, etc so wasn't expecting much. Wrong. Downtown is very impressive and cosmopolitan. Clean and neat. Two days worked great for me, particularly since the first was "recover from the flight" day.

I cabbed from Hotel Nervion over to the Bilbao bus station and caught the bus to Leiketio. 1 hr+-. The bus stop in Leketio is about 200 yards from Hotel Zubieta, a wonderfully restored building. Short walk and great room. Two nights there. Happened to on the weekend and there was plenty going on down by the waterfront. It's about a 15 min walk from the hotel. This was in May and I felt as tho I was about the only "outsider" there. Perfect.

The next morning I caught the bus at about 9 am fromn Leketio to San Sebastian. Again, a bit over an hour as I recall. Best check schedules as I don't believe there are frequent busses from L to SS.

One easy day trip from SS via bus is Pamplona. As I recall it was about 1 hr 10 min and I think they ran fairly frequently. A short but nice trip is via "city" bus up to Hondarribias. Like SS, terrific food in that town. I haven't done it, but it looks like a jaunt to Biarritz would be doable.

I am thinking about going back this May and my plan is to fly to Bilbao, rent a car and head west along the cost for 2-3 days, then drop down into the mountains and work my way to SS on an inland route. I'll drop the car the minute I arrive SS and then spend a week or so there. I was there two weeks last time and still get enough!

if you go to Hondarribia stay in St. Nicolas square where there are often cultural activities going on. We saw folk dancers and a wedding while we were there. You can take a boat to Hendaye every 20 minutes.

Doesn't look like I will make it to see Rocio Molina. The fee to change my tickets were $500. Too steep a price to pay to see the performance. Will have to wait for her return to the USA.
Kimhe - the latest clip you sent is brilliant. Thank you.

Weber - The Hotel Zubieta looks great. Don't know yet if I will spend any nights outside of SS but this one looks like a serious contender. How was the Nervion? Just looked it up too but seems kind of cold - not that I ever spend too much time in the hotels anyway! Also, what do you mean by "city" bus - regarding SS to Hondarribias?

This is shaping up! How does this sound?

6 nights Barcelona,
Bilbao - we arrive in the morning, spend the day and night (don't have a hotel yet) then take a bus to either
Leketio where we can spend the night then go to

SS where we have another 5 nights.

Getaria was recommended by more than one of you. Sounds like the food there is worth the trip and we can spend the day there for lunch and dinner. It looks close to SS so a day trip should be no problem.

Donibane, Hondarribias and St. Jean de Luz all sound wonderful too. Which one? I tend to get frenetic wanting to do more than time comfortably allows. So, which one?

Do I need to get bus reservations ahead of time or can we do it when we are there? Should I check the trains out too or is it enough to just stay with buses?

You guys are great. Thank you.

Weber, if you´re coming next May it´ll be a pleasure to meet you, if you have the time and the will!!

BTW, http://www.blogseitb.us/basquetouris...tle-of-butron/

For a day-trip, Hondarribia (pop 16 000) would be my choice. Nice town, lots of great restaurants/pintxos bars and more to see than in very small Donibane. Perhaps just grab a taxi and go to Donibane for lunch in ten minutes? Buses to both Donibane/San Juan and Hondarribia/Fuenterrabia (some 30 mins) from central Plaza de Guipúzcoa every hour.

I'm sure Molina will be back in New York soon. She danced there in both 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

"...seems to lead an audience into the heart of flamenco at its purest and extend it by making it new" NEW YORK TIMES (2009)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/ar...0Molina&st=cse

"She does with flamenco what Picasso did with the female nude". FINANCIAL TIMES (2010)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dadc5198-1...#axzz1DAdrd1SZ

Thanks for all the advice.

Just realized that since we return from Madrid, we can arrive a day before and go to the Prado after all - yay.

As for Molina - I saw her program last year during the Flamenco Festival. There was a "fashion show" of flamenco costumes at the Guggenheim. Many performers did short dances but she was, by far, the most exhilarating female dancer there (the costumes were remarkable as well). My favorite male dancer was Manuel Linan.

VG information

Mikelg: Deal.

Hotel Nervion: I felt is fine and a value. The lobby area is rather cold and spartan, but apparently like you, all I did was walk through it. Room was updated and quite nice. When I was looking it was about $20 less than comparable hotels. I located it through "Totally Spain", aan agency located in/near Bilbao. As you would imagine, great local knowledge. I felt the ocation was fine. Very close to the older area, across the river from the Guggenheim, 8-10 minute walk, and easy access to the downtown area. I'd do it again.

Re "city bus". I should have explained. The bus I took to Hondarriba was the same type of bus used by the transit company in SS as opposed to the larger, more luxiourious, "intercity" busses such as those used by ALSA, etc. I caught it at a square in downtown SS.

Egbert: HOw does one get to Getaria from SS?

Pardon my jumping in on this thread but does anyone have experience with the Hotel Astoria in SS ??

Euskotren has a bus line that goes from San Sebastian to Zumaia, stopping in Zarautz and Getaria. It leaves from the square Pio XII in San Sebastian every half an hour, some of them use the motorway and some of them the main road.
http://www.lurraldebus.net/Hors.aspx
Look for Donostia and Getaria, I couldn´t find an english timetable.

Bye, Cova

If you are going to use a few buses, the "tarjeta turística" looks interesting, specially because more than one person can use it.
Check it here :
http://www.lurraldebus.net/downloads/TarjetaTurista.pdf

Bye, Cova

Weber - Hotel Nervion. Will check it out.

Last night I found a B&B called Aliciazzz and wrote to her. Seems it is on the main street of the old town and the shops all close at 8PM. It is moderately priced and looks charming. Do you recommend staying in that part of town? The early closings don't bother me since I assume I will not be awakened by noise.

Great to have the info about buses. Do the city buses run as often as the others? Are there trains from one small town to the other as well?

I also meant to ask if transportation arrangements can be made there (bus or train for the short jaunts from SS) or if I should do that from here. I was hoping not to lock myself in to a schedule there so far in advance. It would be much chiller to be able to just when we want to once we're there.

Goldie, which day of the week will you be staying in Bilbao? It is true that shops close relatively early in Bilbao, but Sombrereria, the street where the B&B is located ( it does look charming ) is a main thoroughfare for people going to the bars in the Plaza Nueva and other places in the Old Town. In that sense, it is a very well located. There will be less people walking around at the beginning of the week than at the end. I´d see go for it, specially if the rooms don´t face the street and if you don´t mind a bit of noise, just in case.

I only go back home every month or so, and Mikel lives there, but I think he might agree with me.

Regarding the transport in Gipuzkoa, no, I don´t think that you need to make arrangements beforehand (unless you are thinking of getting a train or a bus to Madrid, something long-distance). If you are just thinking about moving around town and in the province, it is like getting the metro or the bus in your city, no need for it, and it is better to wait until you know about the weather ... it can be raining a lot and you wouldn´t fancy to be traipsing across the countryside on a downpour.

BTW, bring umbrellas or raincoats, just in case. It is the north of Spain, and it rains

Bye, Cova

Euskotren from SS to Zumaia and then walk along the ocean promenade if it's a nice day for an unforgettable experience to Getaria (half hr. walk, just make sure to get there before restaurants close for lunch). Or if you don't want to walk just take the bus from SS to Getaria. Take the bus back to SS, very easy. Don't worry about making any more daytrips, enjoy San Sebastian, if you get some nice weather you will want to return. I might cut 2 or 3 days from Barcelona to add to the Basque country if you really want to go to Hondarribia, St. Jean, Guernika, etc.

St-jean de Luz would be a good place to spend a night. One of the nearby villages in the hills, such as Ainhoa, would be a delightful place to stay as well.

OMG - you people are soooo fabulous!

Cova - I will be in Bilbao on Thursday and Friday so I think staying at this place would be good regarding throngs of people going to their destinations. Is the street it's on a nice one? I would always rather be in a neighborhood than on main drags.

I always take umbrella and raincoat. A few years ago we were in Riomaggiore and it POURED the whole time there. We couldn't take walks because the paths were shut down, the boats in Cinque Terre didn't run because of storms. It was sooo disappointing but still, we had a great time. So gorgeous.

Egbert - I already bought tickets to fly from Barcelona to Bilbao but they were so reasonable I could scrap them and fly North sooner. Truth is, I have been thinking the same thing myself. Basque country sounds so wonderful and just what my soul needs right now! That ocean walk makes my heart race! If paths are not closed due to weather, the rain doesn't deter me.

I recently met a young couple from Barcelona who keep encouraging us to spend more and more time in their city but since I usually don't go back to places (if only to be 20 again!), I think to cut one day from Barcelona is a good idea.

Thanks again. I am getting so psyched.